Split Reality
by Gema J. Gall
Summary: Season 1,2,&3. Darkness is coming for all the worlds. but before the digi-destined can stop it they must face their own darkness.
1. Strange Happenings

Digimon Fan Fiction  
  
Split Reality  
  
By: Gema J. Gall  
  
Disclaimer: Digimon is owned by Saban and a lot of people with a ton of money. I am broke, what does that tell you?  
  
Takato apathetically clicked the remote and turned on the TV. Everything was so boring now that Guilmon was back in the digital world. Sure, he still got to see Rika, Henry, Jeri and the others, but it just wasn't the same without the digimon.  
  
He sighed. There was nothing good on, just some stupid sitcoms and lame cartoons (nothing compared to anime.) He walked over to the computer and get on-line. The very first picture he drew of Guilmon was in the corner of the screen. He looked away, because he missed his friend so much.  
  
"Hi, Takato, how are things going?" asked his mom when she walked in that afternoon. It was about five, so he guessed she had just closed the bakery.  
  
"Fine," he said in a bored voice.  
  
"Are you sure?" she asked as she walked over. "You haven't been your normal energetic self lately. Do you still miss Guilmon?"  
  
"Yes," he said. He looked her in the eyes. "Why did he have to go?"  
  
"Honey," she said as she put her arms around his shoulders. "I don't think anyone knows the answer to that. Friends do get separated, whether they move, or grow up, or in this case, return to their home world..... I don't think you'll ever not be friends because you will never forget each other."  
  
"Thanks," he muttered.  
  
"OK, dinner will be ready in an hour," she said and walked out of the room. Takato resumed his web browsing.  
  
He had visited all his favorite sites, fanfiction.net, fictionpress.net, neopets.com..... (OK, OK, so these are MY favorite webs site. If anyone reading this is on neopets, I am always looking for more neofriends. My user name is gemajgall.) Takato was about to log off when the computer screen bleeped. He didn't move, he just watched it. A few static lines ran through it. Then his speakers crackled and came to life.  
  
"Takatomon," he though he heard a faint voice.  
  
"Guilmon?!" he gasped.  
  
"Trouble, help," cracked the speakers.  
  
"Guilmon!" he cried again, grabbing one of the speakers in his hand.  
  
The computer screen cleared, briefly. A few static lines still streaked across it, but Takato was able to make out the scene on the other side. It looked like the digital world. The problem was the once green fields were nothing but cracked mud. The trees were dying. The digi-gnomes were in hiding. Worse, the sky was completely black, as if it was covered by a sinister storm cloud.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
"OK, all I do is knock," said Davis as he tried to give himself a pep talk. He was outside of the Kamiya residence. "Kari, I think you are great. No, to wimpy. Kari, you are a great girl, and.... No.... Kari, I like you and....." He kept trying to practice lines, but nothing seemed appropriate.  
  
He had just raised his hand to knock on the door when the door burst open in his face. Tai raced out of it, Kari on his heels. The door closed, revealing Davis with a big red welt on his face. He slowly slid down to the pavement with a low moan. That caught Kari's attention and she turned around.  
  
"Davis!" she gasped as she stopped and ran to him.  
  
"What?" asked Tai as he stopped. He saw Davis on the porch, so he walked over and helped Kari pull him to his feet.  
  
"Davis, what are you doing here?" asked Kari.  
  
"Well, I, um," he stammered, half knocked silly by the door.  
  
"It is a good thing we found him," said Tai. "But we have to hurry. Can you walk, Davis?"  
  
"Sure," he said, rubbing the sore spot on his face. He stumbled a few steps before walking normally. "What is the rush?"  
  
"Izzy just called," answered Kari. "He said there was something wrong in the digital world."  
  
"He is getting all of the digi-destined together. He was worried when he couldn't reach you on the phone," continued Davis.  
  
"Come on," urged Kari, who was halfway down the driveway. The two boys raced after her.  
  
"What did Izzy say was wrong?" asked Davis.  
  
"You know Izzy," answered Tai. "He said something about an anomaly that was reprogramming the structural matrix.... and that was when he lost me with technical terms."  
  
"It doesn't sound good," agreed Davis.  
  
"I just hope Gatomon is OK," said Kari.  
  
"And Veemon."  
  
"And Agumon," added Tai and Davis at the same time.  
  
"Who else is coming?" asked Davis.  
  
"He called Matt and TK, so I think they are going to be there," answered Tai. "Sora is out of town. Cody is going to be late because of his kendo practice. I don't know about Joe, Yolie, or Ken."  
  
"Will the two of you pay attention where you are going?" scolded Kari. The guys turned around and looked back at her. They had walked right passed the turn into Izzy's apartment.  
  
Kari was the first to the door. She knocked, but the door swung open a her touch.  
  
"Come in, and hurry," said Izzy, from inside. He was in front of his computer, with Matt and TK.  
  
"What is going on?" asked Tai.  
  
"This," said Izzy. He back away from the screen so they could see. "I was checking the status of the digital world with Tentomon when we got cut off. Then, I expanded my computer's perimeters to view the entire digital world. This is what I found."  
  
"Oh, my gosh!" gasped Kari. Davis was speechless.  
  
"What happened?" asked Tai.  
  
The once beautiful digital world was barren. The grass was dead, blown by a harsh wind. The trees had lost all of their leaves. It looked like a monochromatic recreation of a land after a drought. The worst part about it was the swirling dark clouds that covered the sky and the digital sun.  
  
AN/ Well, I have finally started a fic involving season 3. That one never interested me like the other three. Oh, well. Good? Bad? Any suggestions, comments, constructive criticism, questions, or concerns are welcomed. And, as always, please read, review, and enjoy! ( 


	2. What's Going On?

Takato jumped straight up, which caused the chair to fall to the floor. He turned, grabbed his shoes, and raced out of the door. "Bye, mom!" he yelled as he left. "Something's up, I'll be back when I get back!"  
  
"Takato, wait!" protested his mom as she raced out of the kitchen, but by that time Takato was halfway down the street.  
  
Takato had no idea where exactly he was heading, all he knew was that he needed to do something. He raced to the park where he always met with his friends and played with Guilmon. The first thing that he saw there was Jeri playing the Digimon card game against Rika. The match was one sided to begin with, but it was just a friendly match for Jeri to gain some experience. Takato raced passed them before he realized they were there.  
  
"Hey, goggle-head! What's the rush?" called Rika as she saw him race by. Takato stopped and looked back.  
  
"There is something wrong in the digital world," he said as he gasped for air. "I got a warning message from Guilmon. We have to do something!"  
  
"Guilmon?" gasped Jeri, who was instantly worried about the digimon.  
  
"Slow down and talk," ordered Rika as she helped Jeri pick up their cards.  
  
"I don't know but," stammered Takato, who was still short on breath. "But I was about to go off-line when the computer started to act funny. Then it showed what I thought was the digital world, but it was all destroyed. I heard Guilmon's voice, and he was asking for help."  
  
"What about Renamon?" demanded Rika as she picked up Takato by his shirt collar.  
  
"I didn't see her!" protested Takato as he squirmed away.  
  
"What could have happened?" asked Jeri, her eyes went big with concern.  
  
"I don't know, but we have to do something!" insisted Takato.  
  
"How?" asked Rika. "We don't have our digimon, and we can't get to the digital world!"  
  
"Well, um.... There has to be a way!" insisted Takato.  
  
"All the entrances to the digital world were closed," said Jeri, sadly.  
  
"Maybe Henry's dad knows something," suggested Rika.  
  
"That's it!" exclaimed Takato as he raced off.  
  
"Goggle-head, wait up!" yelled Rika. She gathered up her cards with Jeri and they ran off after him.  
  
Luckily, Takato didn't get too far before colliding with someone. When Jeri and Rika were there, Takato, Kenta, and Kazu were sprawled across the pavement. Rika hid her face behind her hand to repress a snicker.  
  
"What happened? Where's the fire?" asked Kazu as he stood up. This caused Jeri and Rika to start chortling. Kazu and Kenta were wearing full safety clothing, from helmet to shin guards to elbow pads. They were both struggling to stay upright on their roller blades.  
  
"What is so funny?" demanded Kenta.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Jeri.  
  
"You know, chicks dig guys who are into extreme sports," answered Kazu.  
  
"Yeah, right," retorted Rika, harshly.  
  
"They're not?" asked Kenta. The girls nodded. "Kazu!"  
  
"Have to find Henry!" said Takato as he jumped to his feet. But Rika grabbed him by his shirt collar to hold him back.  
  
"What is up with him?" asked Kazu.  
  
"Digital world.... in danger.... Must.... find.... Henry!" gasped Takato as he took off again.  
  
"What is wrong with the digital world?" asked Kenta, scratching his head.  
  
"That only Takato can answer," replied Rika. "Will you wait up?!" She hollered after Takato.  
  
"Wait up for what?" asked Henry who had just ran over. Ryo was on his heels. Susie was right behind them, trying her best to keep up with the older kids.  
  
"Never mind!" growled Rika.  
  
"Did you guys hear the news?" asked Ryo. "The entire digital world is in danger. I saw it on my computer. Henry did too. So, we came to track you guys down to do something about it."  
  
"What is wrong with the digital world?" asked Kazu.  
  
"Oh, Takato!" called Jeri. He stopped running and looked back. He saw that Henry and Ryo had arrived. He turned and started to run back.  
  
"Can anyone explain what is going on?" demanded Kenta.  
  
"I got a message from Terriermon," answered Henry. "He sounded like he was in trouble. Then, I saw a flash of the digital world. It looked worse than my last family reunion."  
  
"Is Lopmon going to be OK?" asked Susie as she tugged on his shirt.  
  
"I hope so," he answered.  
  
"Guilmon..... trouble," gasped Takato as he rejoined them. His face was red and sweat was running freely.  
  
"We know," said Ryo. "We both got messages from our digimon, too."  
  
"What are we going to do?" asked Rika, with her arms crossed. "I don't suppose your dad knows a way for us to get to the digital world."  
  
"He said all of the gates were shut," answered Henry, a bit embarrassed.  
  
"What could have gone wrong?" asked Jeri, concern in her eyes.  
  
"Did anyone hear anything from Guardromon?" asked Kazu.  
  
"Or MarineAngemon?" asked Kenta.  
  
Susie began to sniffle. "What about Terriermon and Lopmon?"  
  
"QUIET!" yelled Rika, who was getting very annoyed at the general chaos. "We are all worried about our digimon. But panicking now is not going to do us any good. We need to get to the digital world before we can do anything."  
  
"Right," agreed the rest.  
  
"But, how are we going to do that?" asked Takato.  
  
"Hypnos!" exclaimed Henry with a snap of his fingers.  
  
"Those old, burned out buildings!" growled Rika.  
  
"All of the Juggernaut projects have weakened the area between the digital world and the real world," replied Henry. "I think our best bet is to do there."  
  
"I'm coming Guilmon!" exclaimed Takato as he raced off.  
  
"Takato!" yelled the others as they raced after him.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
"What happened?" demanded Tai.  
  
"I have no idea," answered Izzy. "And I have been scanning this anomaly for the past hour."  
  
"What could have done this?" asked Kari.  
  
"I think we should worry about that part later, and start worrying about what we are going to do to stop it," said Matt.  
  
"Have you tried to open a digi-port?" asked Tai.  
  
"Yeah," answered TK. "It makes this horrible screech, then goes dead."  
  
"How come we can't get in?" asked Kari, who was examining her D3.  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Can someone get that?" asked Izzy, who did not miss a beat with his typing.  
  
"Now what are you doing?" asked Matt as Tai went to the door.  
  
"I am trying to scan for a virus or something like that. If I find it, I can either override it, delete it, or reroute it," answered Izzy.  
  
"What is the big emergency?" asked Yolie as she walked in, hand in hand, with Ken.  
  
"We came as soon as we got back from lunch," added Ken.  
  
"The entire digital world is in chaos," answered Izzy. He hit enter and back away so they could see the destruction.  
  
"What happened?" demanded Ken.  
  
"Hawkmon!" exclaimed Yolie.  
  
"We have no idea what is going on," said Kari.  
  
"And the digi-ports won't open," added TK.  
  
"But, what, why?" stammered Yolie. Ken put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.  
  
"Yolie, sit down," gestured Tai. She did.  
  
"Where are Cody and Joe?" asked Ken as he looked around.  
  
"Cody is at kendo," answered Matt. "And I think Joe had to finish something for his microbiology class."  
  
"Go figure," muttered Davis.  
  
"Now, what are we going to do?" asked Kari.  
  
"I haven't had much luck trying to hack through this," answered Izzy. "I propose that we wait until the others are here, and then we can brainstorm for any great ideas."  
  
"I do not want to wait while Veemon and the entire digital world are in trouble!" yelled Davis.  
  
"Hold on a second, I just got an e-mail from Joe," said Izzy.  
  
"Well, what does it say?" asked Ken.  
  
"Izzy, I was looking up information for my research paper on penicillin when I got a warning message from Gomamon," read Izzy. "It looks like the entire digital world is in danger. Sorry I can't hang out today, but I need to help Gomamon."  
  
"Does he think this is just a social gathering?!" yelled Tai.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll correct him," said Izzy. "Oh, and does anyone know where Sora is?"  
  
"She went to visit Mimi in America," answered Matt.  
  
"Good, for a moment I thought she had another fight with Tai," said Izzy.  
  
"Hey," growled Tai.  
  
"I think everyone needs to calm down," suggested Yolie.  
  
"One moment, Joe wrote back," said Izzy. Then he started to read it. "The entire digital world in danger?! I'm coming!"  
  
"I can almost hear him tripping over his computer chair on the way out," commented Davis.  
  
"Cody should be here soon," muttered TK.  
  
"I hope someone gets a bright idea," said Yolie.  
  
"Izzy, have you tried to go around the program that is blocking our D3's from working?" asked Ken. "If you can do that, we may be able to get into to digital world and do something about this mess from there."  
  
"I'll try," said Izzy as he began to type again.  
  
"Shouldn't we at least try to contact Sora and Mimi?" asked Kari. "I think they should know."  
  
"But, it is about the middle of the night over there," protested Matt.  
  
"I still think they should know," said Kari.  
  
"I have to agree with her on that one," said Yolie.  
  
"I'll write an e-mail as soon as I am done with this," said Izzy, who's eyes never left the screen.  
  
There was another knock at the door.  
  
"I'll get it," volunteered Davis. He opened the door and let Cody and Joe in.  
  
"I was on my way over and found him," said Joe.  
  
"What happened?" asked Cody  
  
"Something happened to the digital world," explained Ken. "The D3's can't open a digi-port and Izzy hasn't been able to hack through it."  
  
"What happened to the digital world?" asked Cody. Izzy moved aside to give them a nice view of the destruction.  
  
"I have been able to detect some interference with the normal flow of data in the digital world," explained Izzy. "But it is so spread out that I can't pinpoint it."  
  
"What about the digimon?" asked Cody.  
  
"I haven't found a trace of them," said Izzy, sadly.  
  
"Wormmon," muttered Ken.  
  
"Oh, I just got an e-mail from Mimi," said Izzy.  
  
"What does it say?" asked Matt.  
  
"Dear Izzy," read Izzy. "Sora is here with me and Michael. There is something up with the digital world and we have been trying to do something about it, but nothing is working. I really think you should look into it. We have Willis coming over to help, but we don't know what he'll be able to do."  
  
"Her e-mail is pink," commented Tai.  
  
"Why do you seem surprised?" asked Kari.  
  
"I'm writing back and telling her everything we know," said Izzy.  
  
"But what are we going to do?" demanded Davis. "I am sick of sitting here. We should be helping the digimon. I mean, we are digi-destined, after all!"  
  
"Well, everyone is here, more or less," said Joe. "We should be able to come up with something."  
  
"I think our best bet is to get to the digital world," said Cody.  
  
"Willis knows a lot about computers, maybe he has a suggestion," said Yolie.  
  
"I'll add that in this e-mail," said Izzy as he sent it.  
  
"Now what, we just wait," said Tai, grumpily.  
  
"I think we all need to relax," said Yolie.  
  
"Wow, they wrote back already!" exclaimed Izzy as he checked his in-box. He read it to himself first, then a frown fell on his face.  
  
"What is it!?" demanded Ken.  
  
"Willis just got here," read Izzy. "He is worried about the digimon, too. But he has no idea what is going on. He wants a layout of the programs Izzy has been using. .... Wait! Something is happening! It is getting darker! ........"  
  
"Then what?" demanded Matt when Izzy stopped reading.  
  
"I think Mimi stopped typing, because it isn't pink any more," said Izzy.  
  
"And, what does it say?" asked Cody.  
  
"We live in darkness. We want your darkness. We are your darkness," read Izzy, nervously. 


	3. Darkness

"That goggle-head," spat Rika as they desperately tried to catch up with him.  
  
"Henry, wait!" whined Susie.  
  
"Guys, go on," said Henry as he slowed to help his sister. "We'll catch up."  
  
"UFF!"  
  
"OUCH!" moaned Kazu and Kenta as they once more crashed on their roller blades.  
  
"I'll keep my eye on them too," said Henry without missing a beat.  
  
"OK," replied Jeri. She was the only one who responded. The others were too busy chasing Takato.  
  
Lucky for them Takato barely missed crashing into to kids who looked about Susie's age. He stopped to keep from trampling them. This gave the rest of the group time to catch up.  
  
"EEK!" shrieked the girl when she saw Takato barreling down on them.  
  
"Um, sorry," said Takato as he came to a halt.  
  
"Will you slow down before you hurt anyone?" asked Ryo.  
  
"I said I was sorry," muttered Takato.  
  
The young girl was sniffling.  
  
"It's going to be OK, Ai," said the boy, her brother.  
  
"But....but......" she stammered.  
  
"Great going, goggle-head," snapped Rika.  
  
"I just want to make sure Guilmon is alright!" yelled Takato.  
  
"Guilmon?" asked the kids.  
  
"A digimon?" asked the boy.  
  
"Um, yeah," said Takato.  
  
"Way to run your mouth," muttered Rika.  
  
"What happened? Did you get a message? What is going on in the digital world?" the two instantly burst into questions.  
  
"You two seem to know a lot about the digimon," said Henry as he walked over with Susie and struggling Kenta and Kazu.  
  
"Well, we only know what our digimon told us," answered Ai.  
  
"But he said he'd take us to the digital world one day," added her brother.  
  
"But that was before he had to go back there," finished Ai.  
  
"You have a digimon?!" asked Ryo.  
  
They nodded and held up their D-Power. There was only one between the two of them.  
  
"Don't you have another one?" asked Rika.  
  
"No, we share," replied the boy. "I am Mako and this is my sister Ai."  
  
"Nice to meet you," said Susie cheerily. "I have a digimon too. Her name is Lopmon and she is so cute."  
  
"Wait, do you mean you share digimon?" interrupted Kazu.  
  
"Yes," they answered. "We decided to share Impmon."  
  
"IMPMON!" came the response from the other tamers.  
  
"You know him?" asked Ai.  
  
"He was quite the trou..." started Henry before Rika's elbow found his stomach and silenced him.  
  
"Did you get a message from Impmon recently?" asked Ryo.  
  
"Yeah, he's in trouble," said Ai.  
  
"We were trying to help, but we don't know how to get to him," added Mako.  
  
"This just look like it is going to be getting good any time soon," muttered Kenta.  
  
"I won't let Guilmon get hurt!" exclaimed Takato who once again started running.  
  
"Takato!" yelled Jeri. "Come on!" She said to the others as they once more took off after him.  
  
"The phrase 'chicken with its head cut off' was definitely meant to describe Takato," grumbled Rika.  
  
"At least he is getting his exercise," said Ryo.  
  
"I wish he would slow down," complained Henry. "Susie can't keep up. And dad would kill me if anything happened to her."  
  
Soon the burned out remnants of Hypnos loomed in their view. Takato raced passed the caution signs and into the building. The others, save Henry, Susie, Ai, and Mako, weren't far behind.  
  
"Now what?" asked Takato as he looked at what remained of the abandoned technology.  
  
"We could have figured that out on the way here if you weren't being so hard-headed," said Rika.  
  
"This place gives me the creeps," moaned Jeri.  
  
"What, exactly, are we looking for?" asked Ryo.  
  
"A giant sign that says 'this way to the digital world,'" joked Kenta.  
  
"No, a big swirling blue vortex," added Kazu. They both laugh, but everyone else looked at them as if they were insane.  
  
"I don't think we should be joking," said Henry as he arrived with the slower runners. "The entire digital world is in danger. We need to be serious for our digimon. They have always come through for us, and now we need to be there for them."  
  
"I thought you said we'd be able to get to the digital world from here," said Takato.  
  
"I said we might," corrected Henry.  
  
"I'm scared," moaned Ai to Mako.  
  
"It's OK. I won't let anyone hurt you," he replied.  
  
"Lopmon," sighed Susie.  
  
"We live in darkness. We want your darkness. We are your darkness," a sinister voice echoed through the debris.  
  
"Who's there?!" demanded Rika.  
  
"I don't like this," said Jeri, fearfully.  
  
"Let's get out of here," said Henry.  
  
"What's that?!" yelled Ryo. From seemingly everywhere and nowhere darkness began to flood the room.  
  
"Run!" yelled Kenta and Kazu. But they tripped over their roller blades and landed in a heap.  
  
The entire time the darkness was getting thicker, the shadows were getting longer. It seemed to invade the room, making everything in it fade to nothing. In a very short amount of time, they were trapped with the darkness closing in around them on all sides.  
  
Their reactions was very different. Ryo and Rika looked ready to fight. Takato was still thinking about Guilmon. Henry had stood in front of Susie, trying to protect her. Kenta and Kazu were cowering on the floor like babies. Ai and Mako had tightly gripped each other. But, what ever they did it was no good. Darkness took them all.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
"Who could have added that to the e-mail?" asked Matt.  
  
"Definitely not Willis, Mimi, Sora, or Michael," answered Izzy.  
  
"But who does that leave?!" demanded Tai.  
  
"An outside source," answered Cody.  
  
"I think Cody is right," said Izzy as he continued to type. "Someone knows what we are doing and I bet that person is trying to frighten us into stopping."  
  
"But how does this person know that?" asked Kari.  
  
"Whoever did this to the digital world," answered Izzy.  
  
"You mean someone may be behind all this?" asked TK.  
  
"It is just a theory," answered Izzy.  
  
"Not even the digimon emperor did this much damage in such a short amount of time," said Davis. "Sorry Ken."  
  
"No offense taken," he replied.  
  
"But what about the digimon?" asked Joe.  
  
"I have been scanning for them non-stop. I haven't found them yet," reported Izzy, grimly.  
  
"So what are we going to do?" asked Tai. "Just sit back and watch?"  
  
"Until I can get around the malfunction in the D3's, yes," said Izzy.  
  
"Maybe someone should make us a snack?" suggested Yolie to try to lighten the mood. But no one responded so she dropped the idea.  
  
"Wait!" exclaimed Izzy as he paused from his typing to scan the scene. "The anomaly is doing something!"  
  
"What?" they all asked. Izzy looked more.  
  
"I think it is getting worse," he said. The dark, cloud filled sky was now violent with action. The entire land was shaking.  
  
"Dang it all!" yelled Tai. "Agumon!"  
  
"Calm down," urged Matt. "You aren't going to help him by yelling."  
  
"And don't shake the computer screen," said Izzy. "Last time you did that you caused the entire computer to crash.  
  
As if responding, the computer began to beep.  
  
"What does that mean?" asked Cody who pushed himself closer.  
  
"It means one of my scans found something," answered Izzy.  
  
"I hope this is good news," said TK.  
  
"Well, I don't think it can get much worse," said Ken.  
  
"Huh...." said Izzy, thoughtfully. "It seems like part of the digital world has completely disappeared."  
  
"What?!" they all asked.  
  
"There is a section missing in the digital world," said Izzy as he resumed his typing.  
  
"So the digital world is breaking up?" asked Yolie, nervously.  
  
"No," answered Izzy. He pulled up a grid map of the digital world. "This area here is gone. But do you ever remember seeing it there in the first place?"  
  
"Now that you mention it, no," answered Davis.  
  
"What does that mean?" asked Matt.  
  
"How long has it been missing?" asked Joe.  
  
"Probably since before we all became digi-destined," answered Izzy.  
  
"That long?" asked Kari. "But why are we just now finding about it? Gennai never mentioned anything, no did."  
  
"I don't know," said Izzy. "All I can guess is that the chaos now is making it possible for my scans to pick up on stuff like that."  
  
"That still doesn't help us help them!" exclaimed Tai.  
  
"We live in darkness. We want your darkness. We are your darkness," a voice came from the speakers of Izzy's computer.  
  
"What is that?!" asked Yolie.  
  
"That was the same line as the e-mail!" exclaimed Cody.  
  
"But what does it mean?" asked TK.  
  
"Hey!" exclaimed Izzy as his screen went blank.  
  
"I didn't do it!" exclaimed Tai.  
  
But no one had a chance to respond before the darkness began to spill over the screen and into the room!  
  
"AHHHH!" screamed Yolie who locked onto Ken.  
  
"What is this?!" demanded Matt.  
  
"Get away!" warned Izzy who had literally jumped from his computer chair.  
  
"Let's get out of here," suggested Cody who turned to the door.  
  
"Too late!" whined Joe as the darkness came at them from behind.  
  
The entire room was filling with darkness. It seemed to leak in from the walls and corners and floor. It was everywhere, choking and threatening to engulf them all.  
  
"We're trapped!" exclaimed Ken.  
  
"This is bad," said Kari.  
  
"But how?" asked Tai.  
  
There was no answer to that question because at that moment darkness took them all. Little did they know, that half a world and several time zones away, their friends, the other digi-destined, were undergoing the same terror. 


	4. Takato & Tai

"Ugh...." groaned Takato as he stood up. "Where am I?" He looked around. The entire area was completely devoid of anything, even light. It was like he was trapped in a dark vortex or something.  
  
"You are nowhere," a strange voice echoed in the darkness.  
  
"Who's there?" asked Takato, shivering. The darkness seemed unbearably cold.  
  
"No one," came the answer. "You are alone."  
  
"You're lying!" exclaimed Takato, who was yelling because he was beginning to feel afraid. "You're here! And where are my friends!?"  
  
"Also nowhere," answered the voice.  
  
"What kind of answer is that?!" demanded Takato. "What is going on here? Who are you? Answer me! No more riddles!"  
  
"Who am I?" asked the voice, calmly. That was when Takato noticed it sounded vaguely familiar. "I am someone you have know for a long time. And yet, I am someone you know nothing about."  
  
"No.... more...... riddles!" growled Takato, slowly. "Show yourself!"  
  
"You may not like what you see," said the voice. Takato felt a shadow approaching him. He turned around and saw someone coming towards him, in the shadows. At first all he saw was a silhouette, but as the person got closer, the form became clear. Takato gasped. The person walking towards him was........ himself. The only difference between the two of them was the harshness around the other's eyes.  
  
"Hello, Takato," greeted himself.  
  
"Who are you?!" demanded Takato, who was clearly unnerved. "Why do you look like me?!"  
  
"Why? Because I am you," answered himself.  
  
"What kind of game are you playing?! What have you done with my friends?!" demanded Takato. "Jeri! Rika! Henry! Kenta! Kazu!"  
  
"They won't hear you. You are alone," replied himself, coldly.  
  
"What do you want from me?" asked Takato.  
  
"You're afraid," replied himself.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You're afraid," repeated himself. "You're scared, terrified even. But that doesn't surprise you, does it?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Takato as he took a step backwards.  
  
"Your heart is pounding away, your hands are sweaty. You are afraid," explain himself, just as calmly as he's ever been.  
  
Takato was about to protest, but it die on his lips. He knew it was true. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.  
  
"You know you have always been afraid," continued himself, in the silent pause. "You try to cover it up, but you are a coward. You are afraid you'll fail, so you try to act strong. But it is only an act. One day, your friends will see through it. They'll see what a coward you really are. And then, you'll fail them."  
  
"Take that back!" snapped Takato.  
  
"No, it's the truth," said himself. "I am you. I know it is true. It is the truth about yourself that you continue to deny. But you cannot deny it any longer. The truth is that you are a scared, weak little boy who thought this game was fun. But when it turns deadly, you turn coward."  
  
"That is not true! I'm not like that!" yelled Takato. His heart was pounding. He couldn't think. He didn't want to think. He didn't want to believe for a moment that this lie was true. But if he began to think, he was afraid he'd believe. Takato knew he was afraid.  
  
"Why are you yelling?" asked himself. "Are you trying that hard to deny it? Do you remember when Jeri lost Leomon? You could do nothing for her. And as the D-Reaper took her, you only watched. Why? Because you were too afraid to save her."  
  
"That's..... not true!" insisted Takato.  
  
"You didn't have enough backbone to save Guilmon from returning to the digital world, either," he continued. "Give up now and face the truth. You are too afraid to continue."  
  
"But..... I-I can't," stammered Takato. But as he spoke he felt the last of his will draining away.  
  
His heart was beating fast, so fast that Takato thought he'd never be able to bring it under control. His hands were shaking slightly. He knew it was true. Every time they fought, Takato had bee afraid. But he acted brave. Was it only an act? Was it true that his fear would hurt everyone else?  
  
"You're too afraid to even look me in the eye," said himself. "If you can't even face yourself, how can hope to go on playing the hero? It is good you realize the truth now. Just leave, there is no good a coward like you can do."  
  
"I....I....." stammered Takato, but he seemed to forget what he was protesting about. Every word had hit a hidden cord within him.  
  
It was quiet as Takato felt his faltering courage fade. His other self walked over to him, preparing to drain his remaining strength. But then a single phrase raced through Takato's mind.  
  
"Takatomon......" he thought he heard Guilmon faintly say.  
  
"Guilmon?" asked Takato, picking his head up to look around.  
  
"So, you are still trying to put on the act?" asked himself. "Why do you think you can fool anyone with such a lame charade."  
  
"I don't care if it's an act or not," said Takato as he tightened his fists to stop their shaking. "The most cowardly thing I could do now would be give up. I won't give up! I'm not a coward! I may be afraid at time, but I keep going. That's not fear, that's courage!"  
  
"You lie!" snapped himself as he backed up, taken aback.  
  
"I might be afraid at times, but as long as I keep going, I'm not a coward. Besides, everyone is afraid sometimes," said Takato, summoning as much courage as he could. With each word he said, it seemed easier to be brave.  
  
"AGGGHHHHHHHH!" screamed himself as he dispersed in the darkness. This time, Takato was truly alone.  
  
"What just happened?" he asked as he looked around. Then he felt his D- Power hanging from his waist.  
  
"Guilmon!" he exclaimed, remembering why he came. He smiled then said to the shadows, "Guilmon, you're my courage."  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
"This place is a 10 on the creepy scale," muttered Tai as he looked around the darkness he had found himself in. "Is anyone else here?"  
  
"No," came the echo of his own voice.  
  
"I take that back, it's an 11," muttered Tai. He started looking around for an exit.  
  
"Why are you trying to leave, you only just got here? Stay and talk," said the voice again.  
  
"Who are you?!" demanded Tai, looking for a threat.  
  
"I'm you," the voice answered as he stepped out of the shadows. It was true. The speaker looked just like Tai, except his hair seemed spikier (if that's possible) and he had a scar across his right cheek.  
  
"What kind of trick is this?!" demanded Tai. There was no reply, just a stare. "I'm leaving." Tai started to walk away.  
  
"You don't know where you're going," said himself. "You've never known things like that. You never know what to do at the right time."  
  
"What the heck are you talking about?!" demanded Tai, who still hadn't turned to face himself.  
  
"This," said himself as he revealed a piece of ice with a familiar shadow in it. Tai half looked over his shoulder. Than he recognized the shadow. He turned and ran to the ice and started pounding on it.  
  
"Sora!" he yelled. "Sora! What did you do to her!?!"  
  
"Sora isn't here," replied himself. "It's only a shadow of things you refuse to accept as true."  
  
"I still don't know what you're talking about!" exclaimed Tai as he resumed him pounding. "SORA!"  
  
The ice in front of him seemed to shift, and in stead of a shadow, Tai found himself watching a strange TV set. There he saw Sora, who was reading him e-mail when he apologized for the argument they had over the hair pin he gave her.  
  
"Stupid Tai....." muttered Sora as she closed her laptop. But she said it with a smile as she twirled said hair pin around her fingers.  
  
"What kind of trick is this?!" demanded Tai as he glared at himself.  
  
"Just watch," said his voice.  
  
The next scene was when they were older. It was at Matt's concert, well former concert. The evil digimon who had interrupted it were fleeing, being chased by the other digi-destined. But that's not what Tai was shown. He was shown Matt and Sora's conversation.  
  
"What happened?" gasped Sora. "That was scary."  
  
"Don't worry," said Matt as he hugged her close. "I'll protect you."  
  
"So," snapped Tai, once again drawing his attention away from the ice. "They're a couple. I don't care."  
  
"Do you?" asked himself. The scene on the ice changed once more at his gesture.  
  
This time Sora appeared, as she looked right before the darkness took them. She looked so real that it seemed like only a thin sheet of ice was keeping them apart. She put her hand against, like she was trying to reach for Tai.  
  
"Sora?" asked Tai, shocked.  
  
"Hi Tai," she said. She smiled. That's when Tai noticed something about her.  
  
"You're wearing that hair clip I gave you," he commented.  
  
"Of course," she answered. "I really liked it. I've always had. But today I wore it just for you."  
  
"For me? Why?" asked Tai.  
  
"Because you've always been a special person to me, Tai," answered Sora. "I've always liked you, but you never seemed to pick up on the hints I was dropping."  
  
"I realized they were hints....." muttered Tai. "After you started dating Matt."  
  
"But I don't care about Matt. I care about you," she said.  
  
"What?!" exclaimed Tai. "Does Matt know about this?"  
  
"Matt, no," answered Sora. "He doesn't know a lot about me. But that's what I want to tell you." She smiled sweetly.  
  
"Sora, what's gotten into you?" asked Tai as he once again tried to reach her through the ice. His peripheral vision happened to catch sight of himself, smirking.  
  
"This is another one of your tricks, isn't it!?" demanded Tai.  
  
"This is no trick," answered himself. "This is the deepest desire of your heart. You can never forgive yourself for letting Sora slip through your fingers. You'd do anything to make her yours, wouldn't you?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," insisted Tai.  
  
"Tai? Where'd you go?" asked Sora in the ice. She was fading. "Don't leave me!" She was gone.  
  
"Sora!" yelled Tai as he turned around and began to pound on the glass again.  
  
"You care about her deeply," continued himself. "Much more deeply than anything you've ever known. Why do you deny it?"  
  
"Listen! Sora is my friend and I'd do the same for any of my friends!" Tai snapped.  
  
"You used to love her, and you haven't forgotten that," said himself.  
  
"Well, OK, I did think she was cute, plus she had that really great smile and personality..... But she is in love with Matt now. I have to accept that," said Tai.  
  
"You don't want to accept that," said himself. "And why should you? You love Sora as much if not more than he does. Take back the woman you love!"  
  
"I...... I......" stammered Tai. That sounded right, didn't it? Then why didn't it feel right?  
  
"Why do you hesitate?" asked himself. "We know you want her. Matt doesn't deserve her, so take her from him!"  
  
"I..... I....... can't," stammered Tai. "Matt's my friend."  
  
"Friends don't steal the girl you love from you," snapped himself. That made even more sense, didn't it? Matt couldn't be his friend, not after doing something like that.  
  
"I....." stammered Tai as he forgot what he was protesting.  
  
"Take her back, she is yours be right," said himself. "Your the one she really loves. Prove it to her! Don't let anyone stand in the way of your being together. Do what it takes to get her back!"  
  
"I..... I...... I can't," stammered Tai. "I can't."  
  
"Why not!?" yelled himself. "You know how you feel about her!"  
  
"I know," said Tai. "That's why I can't do that to her...... I love her, and because I love her, I have to let her follow her own heart. She choose Matt. It hurts, I know....... But I couldn't say I loved her if I forced her to do something she didn't want to do."  
  
"How...... how...... How could you?!" exclaimed himself. The ice wall shattered. With that, himself disintegrated.  
  
Tai was left alone, very wet, but alone. He looked around. "I have to find the others!" he raced off.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
"Takatomon?" Guilmon asked the darkness. "Where are you? Who turned out the lights?"  
  
"Hehehehehehehehe," a voice in the shadows laughed.  
  
"Who are you?" asked Guilmon, who looked around nervously.  
  
"Your shadow," answered the speaker as he appeared. "I am DarkGuilmon." The speaker looked like a perfect negative of Guilmon.  
  
"Why do you look like me?" asked Guilmon.  
  
"Because I am you," answered DarkGuilmon.  
  
"No you're not!" insisted Guilmon.  
  
"Yes I am, watch!" snapped DarkGuilmon. He raised his claw and brought it through Gulimon's head. Not creating a hole, but almost like the two were superimposed. Guilmon gasped. Even though it still wasn't an injury, it hurt.  
  
"Takatomon! Help!" cried Guilmon as he felt his strength ebbing.  
  
"I'm coming!" he heard the faint reply. Then he blacked out.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
"Tai! Where are you!?" called Agumon in the darkness. "Where did everyone go?"  
  
"They left you alone," answered a strangely familiar voice.  
  
"Who are you?" asked Agumon.  
  
"I am yourself," answered the speaker. A black version of Agumon stepped into view. It wasn't a perfect match, though, because the newcomer had spikes running down his back. "I'm DarkAgumon."  
  
"Where's Tai?" asked Agumon, taking a cautious step back.  
  
"Gone," answered DarkAgumon. "He left you alone. He doesn't care about you."  
  
"That's a lie!" exclaimed Agumon. "Tai's my best friend."  
  
"That's why he hasn't been to the digital world to see you in along time?" asked DarkAgumon, sarcastically. "He has new friends now, human friends. He doesn't need to play games with a creature like you."  
  
"That's not true!" exclaimed Agumon. "Pepper Breath!"  
  
"Ha!" cackled DarkAgumon. He ducked and the attack missed. "Vile Fire!" This attack was also dodged, but the after-effects couldn't be avoided. The entire visible area was covered in a thick, gagging smog that made it near impossible to breath.  
  
Agumon started gagging, then collapsed with a groan.  
  
"Ha, weakling," cackled DarkAgumon as he walked over to the fallen.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
AN/ This chapter begins a long saga of the characters confronting their own darkness. But, after this there will be revelations; like who's behind it, as well as several big battles. Like I said in the summary, facing their darkness before taking on the darkness that has engulfed the digital world..... or something like that. Please, bear with me through this; I have some killer plans for this fic. And, as always, please read, review, and enjoy! ( 


	5. Rika & Matt

"Hello, is anyone here?" called Rika. She looked around. It seemed like the darkest night had come early. Even the shadows had shadows.  
  
"Okay, this is getting weird," muttered Rika, as she did a slow circle.  
  
"Weird?" a voice called for her. "I thought you'd like it here."  
  
"Who's there?!" demanded Rika as she turned around quickly in the darkness, seeking out the speaker.  
  
"No one, but your deepest thoughts," answered the voice.  
  
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?!" demanded Rika.  
  
"You are alone with yourself," came the response. The speaker stepped into view. She was......Rika. There were a few differences, though. The newcomer had tinted hair, as well as a pair of sunglasses on.  
  
"Who are you?" asked Rika, slowly, her voice filled with confusion.  
  
"I am the deepest part of your heart," herself replied.  
  
"You are talking nonsense!" exclaimed Rika. "I am leaving." She started to walk.  
  
"You can't get away from me," said herself.  
  
Rika blinked. Somehow, the girl had managed to reappear right in front of her. She looked over her shoulder, almost as if she wanted to know if there was two of them. But no one was behind her.  
  
"What do you want?" snapped Rika. "And make it quick."  
  
"What do I want?" asked herself with a chuckle. "How about, what do you want?"  
  
"I want you to leave me alone!"  
  
"Now we are getting somewhere," replied her dark side with a large smile. "But that is only half true. You want everyone to leave you alone."  
  
"I.....what?" asked Rika, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
  
"You want to be left alone. You don't want to be around people," said herself, as if she was talking to a little kid. "You are very wise for wanting that. People will only hold you back. You can become so much more powerful without them."  
  
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" demanded Rika.  
  
"That is what you truly want," replied herself. "Imagine what you are capable of. You can do anything, there is just one thing holding you back. People."  
  
"Get to...." started Rika, but her dark side continued.  
  
"Those losers you called friends. What are they doing to help you?" asked herself. "Your family? Feh! They don't know you. You can do so much more alone. You don't need anyone. People will only hurt you."  
  
Rika stopped trying to speak. She watched as herself continued to talk, trying to process what was going on. Nothing made sense...... and yet, somehow it did. She, Rika, could do more than anyone gave her credit for. She wasn't weak, she was strong. So why couldn't others see that? Why couldn't they just leave her alone so she could become stronger?  
  
"Follow the desires of your heart," continued herself. "I can see it in your eyes. That is what you truly want, and you know it!"  
  
"I.....want....." stammered Rika, losing her forceful train of thought. This was what she had always wanted......wasn't it?  
  
Slowly, the darkness around them had begun to change. The air grew colder. Thick fog began to cover the ground. There it condensed, turning into a layer of ice. It was just as barren and dark as ever, but now it was cold, like a winter night.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" asked herself. "This place is perfect for us. Here, no one can harm you, no one can interfere. You can become stronger."  
  
"It's....." stammered Rika, shaking her head in a vain effort to clear it.  
  
"Cold, barren, and alone. The ice is beautiful. It provides safety, and solitude. No one will mess with you here. You can show them all. You are better off without them."  
  
"It's so cold," Rika finally managed to say. She raised her arms to her chest and started shivering.  
  
"It is no colder than you are," replied herself. "This is what you need to reject all people. Cold as ice, push them away. You are the only one you can depend on."  
  
Rika raised her eyes, and looked around. It was desolate, and well, depressing. What was said made sense, but why did it feel wrong? This is what she wanted, wasn't it? Then why was she afraid?  
  
"I...... want....." she stammered again.  
  
"This is what you want," said her dark side with a wave of her hand.  
  
"I..... want......Renamon," stammered Rika.  
  
The name of her digimon suddenly pulled her thoughts in order. Rika fell to her knees and started shaking from the cold. Her lips had turned blue. The cold wind forced goose-bumps up her arms.  
  
"Renamon! Help!" called Rika, as loud as she could.  
  
"What are you doing!?" shrieked her dark self, as she disappeared into a vapor.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
"What.... just happened?" asked Matt as he stared at the light-less world he had found himself in. "This doesn't look like the digital world."  
  
"That is because it isn't," answered someone from the shadows.  
  
"Who's there?" asked Matt.  
  
"Matt Ishida," came the answer.  
  
"Very fun...." started Matt, but he stopped when the speaker stepped out of the shadows. It was someone who could have passed for his evil twin.  
  
His dark side had spiky hair, like how Matt wore it when he was younger. His clothing would have looked great at a hard rock concert. It seemed a little disturbing here, in the darkness. He had an unnerving smile as he approached Matt.  
  
"What kind of game are you playing?" asked Matt.  
  
"This is no game," replied himself. "This is much more serious than that."  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Matt. "And who are you?"  
  
"I already answered the second question. I am you. I am your darkest thoughts. I am your greatest wish."  
  
"My greatest wish?" asked Matt.  
  
"You don't listen very well, do you?" asked himself. "That is why I am here to show you."  
  
"Show me what?" asked Matt. Then he shock his head. "I have no time for this. I have things to do."  
  
"Exactly!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"It is all about you. It always has been," himself continued. "You are the most important person to you."  
  
Matt stopped talking. He stopped to start at his dark side, as if he couldn't believe what he was saying about him.  
  
"Think about everything you can do," he continued. "The fame. The glory. The honors. They are all yours. They have always been. You have never taken them."  
  
"Fame? What fame?" asked Matt.  
  
"Can't you see what lies in the future for you?" asked himself, passionately. "I can. And it is glorious." Matt looked like him like he had a screw loose. "You don't believe me. Fine! Then I will show you!"  
  
He snapped his fingers. The darkness around them shifted. Several squares formed, almost like TV sets. In each one was a different scene. There was about five of them.  
  
"What is going on?" asked Matt, curious.  
  
"Look."  
  
Matt complied. He walked over to the closest one and looked at it. The scene was a large concert. People crowded every available seat. They climbed over one another to be able to mosh by the stage. Girls were screaming in excitement. Banners and signs, as well as those night sticks they sell at every outside gathering were in abundance.  
  
The band started up its first song. The screaming was even louder. The lead singer walked on stage and grabbed the mike.  
  
"That's......me?" stammered Matt. His dark side nodded.  
  
Matt walked over to another screen. This one appeared to be after the concert. He was outside, looking a few years older than he was now.  
  
"I look good," thought Matt.  
  
He walked out of a trailer to the waiting fans. He heard girls shriek his name as he passed. All he had to do is smile, and they'd swoon. Pictures flashed as the press eagerly used their opportunity to put him on the front page. Everyone was cheering his name.  
  
With eyes wide in wonder he walked over to another screen. It showed his future house, his luxury cars, his fine dining.....every material thing he could possibly want. His closet was packed full of expensive clothing. He had servants that did menial tasks for him.  
  
"How is this possible?" asked Matt, eyes still wide in wonder.  
  
"That is your future," said himself with a rather large grin. "You just have to have the courage to take it! It is already in your hands."  
  
"This is really what's going to happen to me?" asked Matt, still in half disbelief.  
  
"It is all about you, Matt. The world wants you. And see what it will do for you? Take it and it is yours! All your dreams, all your desires."  
  
"I can't believe it," muttered Matt, running his fingers across one of the screens. "It seems too good to be true....."  
  
"It is true, all of it," replied himself, somewhat happily. "There are some who are meant to succeed. That is you Matt."  
  
Matt nodded. A smile began to form on his lips. He watched as people continued to scream his name, as girls threw themselves at their feet. He watched as he performed in front of vast audiences, all eager for the next downbeat.  
  
"Where's Sora?" asked Matt, noticing one face missing in the audience.  
  
"Who?" asked himself.  
  
"Sora.....and TK, and Tai?" started Matt. He squinted to take a better look at the crowds. None of his friends were there.  
  
"What do those people matter?" asked himself. "You are the most important person. You are the only one who matters."  
  
"But where are my friends?" asked Matt again. "Why aren't they here?"  
  
"They aren't good enough for you," said himself.  
  
Matt turned around and glared at him. Then he noticed something directly behind his dark side.  
  
"What are you hiding?!" demanded Matt.  
  
"Nothing," replied himself, coolly.  
  
"Out of my way!" snapped Matt. He charged over and pushed himself to the left. What his alter-ego had been hiding was a sixth screen. Mat watched it, shocked.  
  
The first thing he saw was him and Sora. They were yelling at each other. Then Matt threw up his hands and walked away. Sora stood for a moment, then ran, bursting into tears as she did so.  
  
TK was the next thing he saw. His little brother was trying to talk with his as Matt walked on by.  
  
"It's bee three years!" he heard TK say.  
  
"Maybe later, bro," said Matt, as he climbed into a fancy car and drove away, leaving his brother in the dust.  
  
The next scene was with the digi-destined. They all sat around, talking. It looked like a New Year's Eve party. They seemed to be having fun. But Matt noticed he wasn't there.  
  
"Pity Matt couldn't make it," Mimi commented as she passed around a tray of entrees.  
  
"He doesn't care about anyone anymore," sighed Izzy.  
  
"Yeah, he's too cool for us," added Joe.  
  
"Just try not to talk about him around TK, it is a very delicate subject for the family," added Yolei.  
  
"Well, his fault. He is missing a great party," said Mimi.  
  
"And great food," added Joe as he took a finger cake off of her tray.  
  
"I'm right here!" exclaimed Matt, as he shook the screen.  
  
"Why do you care about what they do?" asked himself. "You are the only one who matters."  
  
"I haven't forgotten about you!" exclaimed Matt, ignoring his alter-ego.  
  
The screen blipped, then changed. It still showed the party, but this time he was there.  
  
"Here's to another great year!" he exclaimed, picking up a glass of sprite.  
  
"But it's not midnight yet!" protested Kari with a smile.  
  
"I know, I'm practicing," replied Matt.  
  
"You've been practicing for the past three days!" exclaimed Tai.  
  
"Then I guess I'll be ready for the next hour," responded Matt. Then they all started laughing.  
  
"Look at them," spat himself. "They have nothing. You are so much better than them. They don't matter, take care of yourself!"  
  
"That is what was missing...." muttered Matt, once again ignoring himself. "Friends.....and happiness."  
  
"You'll have more than that!"  
  
"This is what I want!" yelled Matt.  
  
He grabbed the screen tightly, refusing to let it go. His eyes locked on it. He was concentrating so hard that he didn't even notice when his dark side disappeared.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
"This is bad...." muttered Renamon when she looked around.  
  
"It is about to get worse," came a voice in the darkness.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"It is about to get worse," repeated the speaker. "For you, that is." The speaker stepped out of the shadows. She looked exactly like Renamon, save all the yellow parts were black.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" asked Renamon, coldly.  
  
"Hello, Renamon. I am BlackRenamon," said herself. "And I am here to beat you."  
  
"That won't happen," replied Renamon, taking a battle pose.  
  
"You are pathetic, and weak," spat BlackRenamon. "You are nothing without your human runt to help you."  
  
"Take that back!" snapped Renamon.  
  
"Make me," smiled BlackRenamon.  
  
"Fine! Diamond Storm!" Renamon leapt into the air and attacked. But as the pale particles flew from her paws, her opponent disappeared. Renamon's eyes narrowed.  
  
The next thing she remembered was that she was falling down and sliding along the ground. BlackRenamon had teleported behind her and landed a devastating kick to the back of her neck. Renamon struggled to stand up, fighting the disoriented feeling she was having. That was when he opponent landed on top of her, knocking her completely out.  
  
"All too easy. I knew you'd be weak," replied BlackRenamon, as she raised her claws over Renamon's head.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
"Matt?" called Gabumon in the darkness. He frowned. "I could have sworn I heard him talking."  
  
"Matt isn't here," said a strangely familiar voice. "He doesn't care about you. He isn't coming."  
  
"Who said that?" demanded Gabumon.  
  
"I did," replied a grey version of himself. "And I speak the truth. Matt isn't coming."  
  
"What did you do to him?!" demanded Gabumon, preparing himself for anything.  
  
"It's not me you have to worry about do something to him," replied DarkGabumon.  
  
"Matt is in trouble!" exclaimed Gabumon, taking that to be the translation of his dark side's words. "I have to help him!"  
  
"And what are you going to do?" asked DarkGabumon. "He doesn't need anyone, especially a weird creature like you."  
  
"Shut up!" exclaimed Gabumon. He turned and started running. "I'm coming, Matt!"  
  
"Black Blaster!" attacked DarkGabumon. His attack hit between Gabumon's retreating shoulder blades.  
  
Gabumon groaned, then collapsed.  
  
"You heroic types are too predictable," said DarkGabumon, as he approached with a sinister smile on his face.  
  
**************************************************************************** **** 


	6. Henry & Sora

"Ugh…my head…what was that?" groaned Henry as he struggled to his feet. He blinked once and looked around. Then he blinked again. He had never seen the place he was now standing in. It was nothing but pure black shadows. He couldn't see more than ten feet on any direction.

"Is anyone here?" called Henry. "Susie!"

A low chuckle answered him. Henry spun around, peering into the darkness for the source. He could see a vague silhouette, but nothing else.

"Who are you?!" demanded Henry.

The stranger replied with another low chuckle. It was unnerving, not that Henry needed anyone to try to freak him out.

"Show yourself!" demanded Henry.

The person stepped forward and Henry gasped. He was looking at himself! But it wasn't a perfect mirror image. The stranger's skin was very pale green, like he had been sick for a month and hadn't been in the sun.

"W-who… what are you?" asked Henry.

"I am you," replied himself.

"That's not true!" snapped Henry.

"I am you, I am the very deepest part of your heart. You have tried to silenced me, but now you will do nothing but listen."

"No way! I'm out of here!" Henry turned to walk away, but he had only taken a few steps when he stopped, looking into the darkness to try to figure out which way to go.

"You can't protect her you know," said his dark side.

"W-what?" asked Henry, turning around.

"You're little sister, you can't do anything for her," answered himself.

"Leave Susie out of this!" snapped Henry. "What have you done with her?!"

"I've done nothing, you should know that," replied himself. "I am part of you and no part of you would ever do anything to her. We don't need to. Your failures will be what destroys her."

"My failures?" asked Henry.

"Every time you can't be there for her. You can't protect her," continued himself. "Like the time she ended up in the digital world. You couldn't do anything about it. And you know, sooner or later, something really bad will happen to her and you'll do nothing but watch."

"I would never let anything happen to Susie if I could help it!" Henry growled.

"You can't help it though," replied himself. "And it's not just Susie. You try to shelter those closest to you from harm, but you can't."

"What are you talking about now?"

"Terriermon," replied himself. "Remember when he first digivolved? You tried to protect him but you couldn't." He smirked. "And your precious pet wiped out an entire parking garage."

"It's just…he…he wasn't ready then," stammered Henry. "But he can handle his digivolvtions much better now."

"Maybe, maybe not," shrugged himself. "But you know you will fail. You cannot protect your pet, and soon, a bigger digimon is going to absorb him for lunch."

"That's not true!" growled Henry, but his stomach felt like he had swallowed a cup of lead.

His alter-ego looked away and started to sound like he was only talking to himself. "Which one will you let down first? Your little sister or your digimon? Or maybe it will be one of your human friends? You cannot protect them all. You know that you're going to make a mistake, and then they'll all suffer."

"I won't let them down, I can't," Henry said, looking down.

"You can't protect them from everything," his dark side continued. "Don't deny it."

Henry didn't reply, nor did he look himself in the eye. He knew he was not strong enough, that he couldn't be everywhere, to stop Susie and Terriermon from being hurt. The examples he kept mentioning were proof of it.

"So you're finally listening," replied himself. "And you have finally realized the truth."

"I'm not going to stop trying!" growled Henry.

His alter-ego smirked. "That harder you try the harder defeat will come, the greater your mistake will be, the greater the let down will be, the more your friends will suffer."

"That's…not….not…" stammered Henry, trying to put his mind around what he was saying, but he was afraid to. Henry was afraid of what he would imagine if he thought too much. Already glimpses of his sister and his digimon in great pain were surfacing.

"Face it, you were doomed from the start. Your plan of protecting those you love was an unreachable goal. Bad things happen to good people, and they won't be any exceptions. And you'll just have to watch as they suffer because there is nothing else you can do."

Henry shuddered and shook his head like he was trying to shake off a nightmare, which he was. He was facing his own personal nightmare, and it was the worst thing he could ever imagine. Henry had been doing everything he could to keep Terriermon and Susie from all the dangers he heard about. He was scared for them.

"And all it will take is one little mistake," continued himself. "Of course, the consequences that develop, it will be a big mistake.

Without warning Henry turned around and punched himself across the face. "My first mistake today has been listening to you!"

His dark side slid to the ground in a stupor and vanished like mist.

"If Susie and Terriermon are in trouble, I need to hurry," said Henry as he started running.

"Is anyone here?" called Sora. She looked nervously around, but all she could see was shadows. Her own shadow seemed to be swallowed up by them. "Tai? Matt? Anyone?"

"Funny that you ask for them in that order," said a familiar voice. But Sora could not place it.

"Who are you?" asked Sora. "Where are you?" Her eyes were searching the shadows, but they could see no one."

"My name is Sora," replied the voice. A girl stepped out of the shadows. She wore a pair of jeans with both knees blown out. Her shirt was short sleeved, revealing a rose tattoo on her left shoulder. Her hair was blonde, save for one red streak in the middle. She was completely identical to Sora in every other way.

Sora gasped and took a step backwards. "Who are you?"

"I already answered that. I'm Sora. I am you."

"I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you're not me."

"Yes I am. I am the shadow within your own heart."

"A shadow, in my heart?" asked Sora.

The punk girl nodded. "I am what you deny about yourself. And I find it unusual that you call for Tai before your boyfriend."

"Well…Tai and I have been friends for a long time and…." stammered Sora.

"And you care about him more than Matt," interrupted herself.

"That's not true!" Sora protested instantly.

"Listen to what you are saying, then listen to your heart," said herself. "You don't care about Matt half as much as you say you do."

"You're the one who doesn't know what you're talking about," snapped Sora. "Tai is a friend, Matt is my boyfriend, end of story."

"No, that is only the beginning. You love Tai more than Matt; anyone can see that. You're just using Matt to make Tai jealous," smirked herself.

"You're lying! Tai can be a jerk at times, that's why I chose to date Matt because he's dependable!"

"Why are you yelling?" asked her dark side, calmly. "Why are you trying to convince me who you love? I am part of you, I already know where your heart lies. And I am here to tell you, because you cannot see that truth for yourself."

"You're not part of me, you're just trying to confuse me," shot Sora.

"Ironic, the bearer of the crest of love doesn't know who she loves," said herself.

"I do too know!" countered Sora. "And anyone can tell because I am dating him."

"Then ask yourself honestly, do you care about Tai as more than a friend?" challenged herself with a glimmer of victory in her eye.

Sora hesitated.

"You already know the answer, you love Tai," said herself. "You are playing Matt for a fool."

"No I'm not," protested Sora, but her voice didn't have the confidence she had a moment ago. "I care about Tai, but he's not stable! He's such a jerk at times. Matt cares for me. He loves me and I love him and I know I can depend on him."

"That might be true, but it is only covering your true desires," said her alter-ego. She looked directly at Sora, causing her to gulp. The gleam in her dark side's eyes was unnerving. "What would you do if Tai came up to you and admit _his_ true feelings to you?"

"His true feelings?" echoed Sora, who had been taken by surprise.

"Everyone knows about them, even Izzy with his nose buried in computer screens. Tai cares about you as much as you care about him," said herself. "What would you do if Tai came clean?"

"I…I'd….I would…." stammered Sora.

"How pathetic. The bearer of the crest of love is confused about her own love life," sneered herself.

"Tai…Matt…." stammered Sora. She put both hands to the side of her head like she had a headache. "I love…"

"You don't deserve to love after all the games you've played," said herself.

Sora was breathing hard and she had closed her eyes tight. She was struggling. Her alter-ego smiled. This was the moment she was waiting for. She walked over, ready to drain her remaining strength.

Sora could see Matt and Tai clearly in her head. She never wanted to see either of them hurt, but she knew she had to make a decision. She cared about both of them deeply.

She suddenly straightened up, startling her dark side who was getting closer.

"You're wrong," said Sora. "You said I was only using Matt and that I couldn't admit I like Tai. Well, here's the truth. I care about them both. You were right though, I don't know which one I want to date, but that is part of falling in love."

"Stupid girl! You don't know what you are talking about!" shrieked herself.

"You're wrong again. For the first time since you started talking, I know what I am talking about," said Sora.

"NOO!!!" her dark side screamed as she disappeared.

"That…that…" stammered Sora, eyes wide. She was alone in the darkness. "I have to find the others." She started walking, but she wasn't excited about facing Matt and Tai and putting her heart to the test.

"Henry! Henry!" called Terriermon. "Are you here?!" He stopped walking and began to scan the shadows for any signs of his tamer. "I could have sworn I heard his voice."

"In your dreams," laughed a voice from behind him.

Terriermon whirled around only to see what looked like his shadow walking towards him.

"Who are you?" asked Terriermon.

"I am everything you are not. I am BlackTerriermon."

"Leave me alone, I'm trying to find Henry."

"Don't waste your time on that human, you have to deal with me."

"What do you want with me?" asked Terriemon, who sounded puzzled.

"I'll tell you that, if you can beat me!" exclaimed BlackTerriermon, spreading his dark ears and jumping into the air to attack.

"Bunny Blast!" Terriermon instantly attacked.

BlackTerriermon dodged it easily and countered, "Rabbit Boom!"

His attack was three times larger than Terriermon's. Terriermon gasped in pain as smoke covered the ground below. BlackTerriermon landed and waited for it to clear. When it did, he saw Terriermon laying on the ground, not moving.

BlackTerriermon laughed evilly and approached the fallen.

"Where did everyone go?" asked Biyomon as she flew through the shadows that had engulfed everything.

"They left you alone," answered a figure that flitted behind her.

"Who said that?!" demanded Biyomon, whirling around. No one was behind her.

"I did," answered BlackBiyomon, this time up and to the right of her counterpart.

Biyomon gasped and it once again flew out of her line of vision as she turned.

"Where are you?" asked Biyomon, who sounded frightened. "What are you?"

"A shadow," answered BlackBiyomon, this time from somewhere under her.

"Please stop that," begged Biyomon as BlackBiyomon darted above her.

"If you say so," said BlackBiyomon. With that she dive-bombed Biyomon

"AAHHHH!" screamed Biyomon. She fell to the ground and collapsed into a heap.


End file.
